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The Story of the Great Copper Empire

Copper Country Explorer tells a story – a legend really. It’s a tale of a lost civilization, a forsaken empire that once reigned over the scenic shores of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It was an empire ruled by the red metal king whose discovery transformed what was once nothing more than a remote and rugged wilderness into a sprawling industrial empire.

It was not to last however. After over a century of rule, the empire would gasp its last breath. The mines closed, the people left, and the metropolis returned to the wilderness from which it had come. In its place would be only ruins, the crumbling remains of the dreams and hopes of thousands.

It is these shadows of a lost empire that CCE explores today, documenting what it finds with photos, videos, and diagrams and sharing them on the world wide web. It’s about bringing history a little closer to home. Its about preserving history and keeping it alive for future generations – one post at a time.

About the Author

Copper Country Explorer is photographed, written, designed, and illustrated by me - Mike Forgrave. I’ve been fascinated by the Copper Country ever since first arriving to its shores for college over twenty years ago. During my time at Michigan Tech I partook in the classic tradition of Copper Country cruisin’ quite often, fascinated by exploring the many ruins we found scattered throughout the wilderness. In 2006 I set out to document that history I loved and to share it on the world wide web, researching, photographing, illustrating, mapping and writing about what I discovered.